


Merry Christmas, Baltimore

by TacoCat2020



Category: Swimming RPF
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Sensuality, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 20:59:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2787533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TacoCat2020/pseuds/TacoCat2020
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael and Allison have been dating for a few months and are preparing to spend their first Christmas together.  (one-shot)</p><p>Takes place a few months after the conclusion of <i>Of Love and Regret</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Merry Christmas, Baltimore

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Of Love and Regret](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2787119) by [TacoCat2020](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TacoCat2020/pseuds/TacoCat2020). 



I rolled over and watched Michael asleep next to me. I leaned over and kissed him. His eyes fluttered open.

“Well, that’s a good way to wake up”, he said, his voice thick with sleep.

I poked him in his ribs. “Hey”, I whispered.

“Hey”, he whispered back.

I kissed him again, snuggling closer to him. “Good sleep?”, I asked.

I felt him nod, as I leaned against him. His body felt warm, and didn’t want to move. “Yeah”, he said quietly. “You?”

“Mmm hmm”, I mumbled into his shoulder. I inhaled, taking in the smell of his soap and laundry detergent. He smelled nice. Familiar. “What to you want to do today?” I asked.

I could tell that he was smiling. “I want to lie here with you”, he said.

“Sounds good”, I replied.

He moved his hand so he was holding me by my waist, and I felt his thumb running under the waist band of my shorts. His touch felt incredible. The romantic aspect of our relationship was still new, so we were taking things slowly. Other than lying in bed together, and cuddling with limited clothing, we hadn’t really done much yet. Over the past few months, I had gotten more and more comfortable with how our relationship was progressing. In that moment, lying next to him in his big comfortable bed, feeling his touch, taking in the beauty of his features, I was overtaken with the want of him.

“This okay?”, he whispered.

I shifted, so that I was pressed up against him. “Yes”, I said. “Feels good.”

 

***

 

Later, after we got out of bed and got dressed for the day, we were sitting on the couch. I was leaning against Michael, and he had a long arm wrapped around me. He kissed the top of my head.

“Allie”, he whispered. “are you okay with what just happened?”

I nodded against his shoulder. “Mike, stop worrying so much. It was… it was amazing.”

He kissed the top of my head again. “Good”, he said, his voice still full of concern. “You’ve been quiet, so I wasn’t sure.”

“Mike”, I said, looking up at him. His big eyes were soft and sweet. “It was everything I wanted it to be and more.”

Michael nodded. “Good”, he said. “I just want to make sure that you’re safe and feel taken care of.”

I ran my fingertips along the strip of skin, visible between the waistband of his jeans, and the hem of his sweater. “I always feel safe with you, Mike”, I said. “Always.”

“Good”, he said. “I love you”

I looked up at him. His eyes were glassy, and he was smiling. “I love you too, Mike”, I whispered. “I love you so much.”

 

***

We were lying on the couch, and I looked around his living room. “We should decorate your house today”, I said.

Michael hesitated. “I don’t know…”, he said hesitantly. “I love Christmas, and Christmas decorations, but it’s so much work.”

I poked him in the stomach. “Come on! It will be fun!” I said. “Don’t be so lazy!” I stood up and grabbed his hands. I tried to pull him off the couch. 

Michael laughed, and stood up when I pulled him, and he fell against me. We both giggled, and I kissed him on the cheek. “Okay, fine!”, he said. “You win. Let’s go get a tree.”

“Really?”, I asked excitedly.

Michael rolled his eyes at me, but he was smiling. “Really”, he said. “If decorating my house will make you happy, let’s do it.”

Michael and I walked to his car and got in. We drove to a farm outside of the city where Michael said that Hilary and Doug got their tree. We stopped for hot chocolate on the way out of Baltimore. I talked Michael into changing the radio station to one with Christmas music. We sang along as Michael drove through the winding roads leading to the farm. It was turning out to be an amazing day.

When there was a break in the music for commercials, I reached over and turned the radio down. “So, are you lonely now that Conor has moved out?” I asked. Conor had recently moved to California, and Jeff bought his own place and would be moving across town in a few weeks. I knew that it was a big change for Michael since he was used to always having people around.

“Yeah”, he said, without looking at me. “In a way, it’s nice because I don’t have to worry about waking anyone up when I leave the house early in the morning, and I don’t have to worry about the music being too loud. but it can get lonely sometimes.”

I leaned over, and put my hand on his knee. “You have me”, I said quietly.

He glanced over at me, out of the corner of his eyes. He was smiling. “I love it when you sleep over, Allie”, he said. “I like having you there when I wake up.”

 

***

Michael found a parking spot at the farm, and we walked around looking for the perfect tree to put up in Michael’s living room. Michael was holding up a tree, and eyeing it to get an idea for how tall it was, and whether or not it would fit in his living room. I snuck around the corner, and made a snowball from the freshly fallen snow. I threw it at Michael, and ducked behind before he could see me. He turned around and his mouth dropped open. Then he started laughing. He sprinted towards me, as I tried to get away. He caught up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me. He lifted me up as I kicked my legs and laughed.

He kissed my neck. “That’s what you get for throwing snowballs at me”, he said laughing. “I’m gonna get you!”

We both stood up straighter, and both fixated our glance on the same tree. “That one”, I said pointing. Michael looked at the tree, then turned to look at me. He smiled. 

“That’s the one!”, he said to me. He signaled for one of the employees to come over and carry the tree to the car for us. They helped us strap the tree to the roof racks on Michael’s car. Michael paid, then we set off to go back to Michael’s house.

On the way back, Michael’s phone rang. He picked it up and answered. “Hi, mom!”, he said, smiling. I love to watch Michael interact with his family. The care he takes of them is sweet.

“Yeah. We bought a tree!”, he was saying. Then he laughed. “No, it was Allie’s idea. We’re going to decorate it… No, I should have enough. I have all the ones you gave me when I moved. Okay. That sounds great. Sure. Okay. Love you, Mom.”

He hung up his phone. “My mom says hi”, he said. “and she wants you to come over for Christmas dinner.”

I can’t afford to go home to Michigan for the holidays, and I love Michael’s family. I was grateful for the invitation. “That would be great!”, I said. “Thanks, Mike. Tell your mom that I’d be happy to bring something.”

***

We got back to Michael’s house, and Jeff was there packing for his move. He helped us attach the tree to the crane that Michael has used for his tree in past years. Michael started to pull the crank on the crane. I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned on his shoulder. “Thanks for doing this, Mike”, I said. “I know decorating isn’t really your favorite thing.”

“You’re welcome, Al”, Michael said. “I know it makes you happy.” Michael turned around and wrapped his arms around me. In doing so, he let go of the crane, sending the tree back down again.

Jeff lunged for the crane and tried to pull the tree back up. He was laughing. “Okay”, he said. “I love you both, and Allie, I’m so glad you’re here. But if you two lovebirds can’t let go of each other for thirty seconds, we’ll never get the tree up here in one piece.”

Michael and I both turned to look at Jeff, and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Jeff”, we both mumbled.

He laughed. “It’s okay”, he said, shaking his head. “You guys are cute.” 

Between the three of us, we got the tree upstairs. We put it up in Michael’s living room, next to the window facing the harbor. Jeff left after that, and Michael and I started decorating the tree. As we went through the box of ornaments, he told me stories about some of the ones from his childhood. We drank hot cocoa, and enjoyed each other’s company. When we were done, the tree looked really nice. I snapped a picture of the tree with the harbor in the background and posted it to my Instagram account with the caption “Merry Christmas, Baltimore”.

We sat down on the couch to relax, when suddenly, Michael jumped up again. “Oh, hey!”, he said. “I have to give you your present!”

I smiled. “Mike, Christmas is still weeks away!”, I protested.

Michael shook his head. “No way!” he said, laughing. “The tree is up, I’m feeling festive. Just go with it!”

“Okay, okay!”, I said, giving up. “I don’t have your gift with me…”

Michael shook his head as he walked towards the spare room. “That’s fine!”, he said, smiling. “I just want to give you yours now.”

Michael came out of his spare room with a big box. “Open it now!”, he said, grinning, and pushed the gift towards me.

I smiled. “Thanks”, I said quietly.

I took the wrapping paper off, and opened the box. Inside, I found a red Georgia Bulldogs hoodie. “Thank you”, I said softly. “It looks so warm.”

Michael smiled at me. “Your old one was looking a bit tattered, so I thought…”

I put the sweatshirt on right away. “It’s perfect”, I said, leaning over to kiss him.

“There’s more”, he said. 

I looked in the box, and pulled out a small, square box. Inside, was a University of Georgia Alex and Ani bracelet. I grinned as I slid it onto my wrist. “Wow”, I said. “This is great”

Michael looked concerned. “You don’t have that one yet, right?”, he asked.

I shook my head. “No”, I said. “I’ve been wanting it, but didn’t get a chance to buy it.”

Michael nodded. “Good”, he said. “Merry Christmas, Allie.”

“Merry Christmas, Mike”, I said, my cheeks hurting from smiling.

Michael looked down at his feet, and pulled something out of the pocket of his hoodie. He was blushing. “I have one more thing for you”, he said in a small voice.

I touched his arm. “Mike, I don’t need anything else. This is perfect.”

“I think you’ll like this one”, he said quietly. “at least I hope so” He handed me a small box, but gestured for me to wait to open it.

He looked so nervous, and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. “Mike, what’s up?”, I asked.

“Allie”, he began. “You are so special to me. I’m so glad that we’re together now. It took us a while, but I’m glad that we finally got here. I care about you and I love you with all my heart. I know we’ve talked about taking things slowly, and I like the way things are going, but there’s something more that I want. I wondered if maybe…” He paused. “you can open that box now.”, he said.

I opened the box in my lap. “a key?”, I asked.

Michael smiled. “I was wondering if maybe you’d consider moving in with me?”

I smiled. “Yes!”, I said. “I would love to!”

“Really?”, Michael asked.

“Yes, really!”, I said, giving him another kiss. “This is going to be the best Christmas ever.”


End file.
